Steven Thompson
Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard on BT Sport: "It's a tough test. Kilmarnock are used to this pitch. They've got a slight advantage, but we've told the players not to use that as an excuse. We come here in good form.

"The changes are just squad rotation, trying to keep energy in the team, keep it fresh. We've got a strong squad, good players. They deserve this opportunity and it's important they go and grasp it.

"We've been trying to build confidence. We're in a good place. We're on TV today because people are here for a shock and surprise - and we have to avoid that."

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke has also been talking about Rangers counterpart Steven Gerrard.

"I know Steven well and I enjoyed working with him," he told BBC Scotland. "He’s done a good job in a short space of time, but it’s a long season and we’ll see how it goes.

"They are organised and play a system that suits them and I hope they go on an qualify for the group stages of the Europa League, but we look to put a little dent in them today."

Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke tells BBC Radio Scotland why Daniel Bachmann starts in goal.

"I want to have two players fighting for every position and, if I don’t play Daniel, I don’t know if he can make the step up," he said. "I can’t bring in a goalkeeper and not give him a chance."

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock left-back Greg Taylor thinks his side can compete with the likes of Rangers.

"Rangers have started well and we've started not too bad as well," he said.

"We competed well with the bigger sides once the gaffer came in last season.

"We went out in the quarter-finals after penalties last season and hopefully we can get beyond that this time."

Image source, SNS

On-loan Liverpool winger Ryan Kent is promoted to the bench and is looking forward to facing Kilmarnock.

"We are creating a lot of chances and personally I would like to be more clinical - I've had a few chances - but I think that's coming," he told Rangers TV.

"I think we'e been performing really well and we're gaining in confidence with every game."

Image source, SNS

Steven Gerrard knows all about the challenge Kilmarnock will pose his team after "absolutely loving" his spell working with Rugby Park counterpart Steve Clarke.

Clarke was first-team coach at Liverpool for a season and a half under Kenny Dalglish.

"I enjoyed working with Steve very much," Rangers manager Gerrard said. "I think he's a top man and someone who I always got on with, someone who I have enormous respect for as a coach.

"His Kilmarnock team are strong at home, have a very good record, they are difficult to beat there.

"They play with two banks of four and, in Kris Boyd up front, they have an experienced player who's got the know-how to be difficult to handle and knows where the back of the net is."

Image source, SNS

Steve Clarke also springs a couple of surprises in his starting line-up.

Striker Mikael Ndjoli has impressed so far on loan from Bournemouth and his place is taken by the lively Eamonn Brophy.

Jamie McDonald also drops to the bench, which means a debut for Daniel Bachmann, the 24-year-old Austrian goalkeeper on loan from Watford.

Image source, SNS

Ayr United are the only side outside the Premiership to so far reach the quarter-finals.

Will Championship rivals Ross County join them there?

Ian McCall's Ayr supplied the shock of the second round, thumping top-flight Dundee 3-0 at Dens Park as Neil McCann's side unravelled with two red cards and with two goals from Lawrence Shankland - the striker he recently failed in a bid to sign.

Meanwhile, holders Celtic put their Champions League woes behind them to eventually subdue Partick Thistle.

Aberdeen 4-0 St Mirren

Dundee 0-3 Ayr United

Dunfermline Athletic 0-1 Hearts

Livingston 0-1 Motherwell

Partick Thistle 1-3 Celtic

Queen of the South 2-4 St Johnstone

Image source, SNS

Steven Gerrard makes three changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Maribor in Slovenia on Thursday - and there is a surprise in goal.

Allan McGregor, who has impressed so much since arriving this summer from Hull City, is missing from the squad, with Wes Foderingham taking over for his first competitive start of the season and Jak Alnwick on the bench.

Ryan Jack and Daniel Candeias drop to the bench, with Ryan Kent coming into midfield and Borna Barisic, who is cup-tied for the Europa League, back at left-back.

Andy Halliday, who filled in for Barisic on Thursday, moves back to his more familiar midfield role.

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock: Bachmann, O'Donnell, Broadfoot, Boyd, Taylor, Dicker, Power, Burke, Jones, Brophy, Boyd.

Substitutes: MacDonald, Kiltie, Ndjoli, Waters, Wilson, Graham, Cameron.

Rangers: Foderingham, Tavernier, Goldson, Katic, Barisic, Halliday, Ejaria, Arfield, Kent, Murphy, Morelos.

Substitutes: Alnwick, Sadiq, Jack, Candeias, Flanagan, McCrorie, Middleton.

Stevie Clarke and Steven Gerrard have both changed their goalkeepers for this afternoon's League Cup tie.

More on that to come...

Live coverage of today's two ties is about to begin on BBC Radio Scotland FM and 810MW.

Commentary at Rugby Park comes from Rob Maclean, with expert analysis by former Rangers strikers Steven Thompson and Gordon Smith, who also of course played with Kilmarnock.

Paul Mitchell has the commentary duties at Easter Road later and he will be ably assisted by former Hibs manager John Hughes and Billy Dodds, who was assistant manager with Ross County.

The final two places in this afternoon's Scottish League Cup quarter-final draw are up for grabs and we will bring you the news as it happens from Rugby Park and Easter Road Stadium.

Rangers and Hibernian go into today's ties as favourites but on the back of contrasting fortunes in Thursday's Europa League qualifiers.

Neil Lennon's Hibs host Championship side Ross County looking to bounce back from the Molde mauling their defence received in Norway at the hands of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's wonderkid, Erling Braut Haland.

That's at 15:00, but first up, Steven Gerrard takes his Rangers team, fresh from efficiently managing the threat of Maribor, to Kilmarnock, where he will battle his wits with his former Liverpool coach, Steve Clarke.

Stay with us for the build-up to the 12:30 kick-off and beyond.

Image source, SNS